Tips to Make Moving Easier

With a little one on the way, you may be contemplating moving to bigger place. That one bedroom apartment that used to be ultra cozy is probably going to get cramped fast with the addition of your baby. One you make the plunge and decide you want to move, you’ll have to decide whether you’re doing the move yourself or hiring someone to do if for you. Either way, here are some tips to make the process go more smoothly.

• Pack Jewelry and Valuables Yourself- Especially if you are hiring someone to move you, it is critical to pack (and keep) valuables with you at all time. Horror stories abound regarding unscrupulous movers that steal cash and valuables so keep these with you at all times.
• Avoid Memorial Day Weekend- With school closing up for the summer and good weather in tow, Memorial Day Weekend is the busiest moving time of the year. So you should try to schedule your move at another time to avoid peak demand for moving trucks and supplies.
• Forward Your Mail- Always remember to forward your mail through the Post Office (www.usps.com) to your new address in a timely fashion so that you can continue to receive all your mail and bills. Even a small delay doing this can cause you to pay your bills late, which could adversely affect your standing and credit rating you worked so hard to keep immaculate!
• Bring In Move Essentials- It is good to keep essential on hand and nearby. This could include a quick change of clothes, toiletries (an overnight bag is a great help here), snacks and other things you need to keep handy while you are packing and moving.
• Perform Due Diligence on the Moving Company- Some moving companies are unscrupulous and will make your move a nightmare. It is common to hear about companies that quote a certain rate but on the day of the move decide to leave your furniture in the street unless you can cough up an extra $300 from your ATM because “carrying furniture up stairs was not included in the quote”. Never mind you specifically told the mover about the stairs beforehand. So don’t just select the mover with the lowest price. Instead, find someone who is reasonable and reputable, with no complaints at the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org.) It is critical to do reference checks on the moving company you decide to use.
• Don’t Forget Your Keys- Once a friend and I packed up the whole apartment and were getting ready to mover when we figured out that nether of us knew where we had packed the car keys! Three long and frustrating hours later, we finally found the keys but we had lost valuable time in the process.

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